UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 22, 2024
PSQ Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-40457 | 86-2062844 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
250 S. Australian Avenue, Suite 1300
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (877) 776-2402
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share | PSQH | New York Stock Exchange | ||
Redeemable warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share | PSQH.WS | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
Securities Purchase Agreement
On October 24, 2024, PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and certain purchasers (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”) closed a private investment in public equity transaction (“PIPE”) to purchase an aggregate of 1,981,483 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at $2.70 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $5.35 million pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement, dated October 22, 2024, by and among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Securities Purchase Agreement” or “SPA”). The Shares were sold in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Act”), and Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Act.
Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Purchasers have also agreed not to sell or transfer the Shares, subject to certain exceptions, until the earlier of (A) the one year anniversary of the date of the Closing or (B) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger or other similar transaction resulting in all of the Company’s stockholders exchanging shares for other property.
Registration Rights Agreement
In connection with the PIPE offering, the Company and the Purchasers entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) pursuant to which, among other customary terms and indemnification provisions, the Company agreed to prepare and file a registration statement for the resale of (i) all of the Shares and (ii) any securities issued or then issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the Shares (together, the “Registrable Securities”), on or before the 180th calendar day following the Closing Date (as defined in the SPA) and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective by the SEC as soon as practicable and no later than the 90th calendar day following the filing date, and use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such registration statement continuously effective until the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement (i) have been sold, or (ii) may be sold by non-affiliates without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144.
The foregoing descriptions of the Securities Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the terms and conditions of the Securities Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, copies of which are filed, respectively, as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On October 28, 2024, the Company issued a press release announcing: (i) the entry into the Securities Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement; and (ii) a strategic plan to streamline the Company’s organization. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this Item 7.01 by reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is furnished with this Form 8-K:
Exhibit No. | Description | |
10.1* | Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 22, 2024, by and among the Company and the Purchasers signed thereto. | |
10.2 | Form of Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October 22, 2024, by and among the Company and the Purchasers signed thereto. | |
99.1 | Press Release, dated October 28, 2024 (furnished only). | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
* | The exhibits and schedules to this Exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally to the SEC a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules upon its request. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
PSQ Holdings, Inc. | ||
Date: October 28, 2024 | By: | /s/ Michael Seifert |
Name: | Michael Seifert | |
Title: | Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
3
Exhibit 10.1
FORM OF SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of October 22, 2024, by and between PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on Annex A hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”).
RECITALS
A. The Company and each Purchaser is executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act”), and Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) as promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act.
B. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, wishes to purchase, and the Company wishes to issue and sell, upon the terms and conditions stated in this Agreement, an aggregate of 1,981,483 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), for an aggregate purchase price of $2.70.
C. Prior to the Closing the parties hereto shall execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights with respect to the Shares under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and applicable state securities laws.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated in this Section 1.1:
“Acquiring Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Balance Sheet” means the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of June 30, 2024 included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 14, 2024.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except Saturday, Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Bylaws” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a)(v).
“Charter” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a)(v).
“Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a).
“Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Commission” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Company Counsel” means Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, with offices at 101 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20001.
“Company Covered Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(ii).
“Company Deliverables” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a).
“Company Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(o).
“Company’s Knowledge” means with respect to any statement made to the Company’s Knowledge, that the statement is based upon the actual knowledge, or knowledge that would have been acquired after reasonable inquiry, of the executive officers or directors of the Company having responsibility for the matter or matters that are the subject of the statement. With respect to any matters relating to Company Intellectual Property, such awareness or reasonable expectation to have knowledge does not require any such individual to conduct or have conducted or obtain or have obtained any freedom to operate opinions of counsel or any Intellectual Property Rights clearance searches.
“Confidential Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(jj).
“Contract” means, with respect to any Person, any written or oral agreement, contract, subcontract, lease (whether for real or personal property), mortgage, license, or other legally binding commitment or undertaking of any nature to which such Person is a party or by which such Person or any of its assets are bound or affected under applicable Law.
“Control” (including the terms “controlling”, “controlled by” or “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise.
“Disclosure Deadline” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.
“Disqualification Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(ii).
“DTC” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(c).
“EDGAR” means the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system.
“Effect” means any effect, change, event, circumstance, state of fact, occurrence or development.
“Environmental Law” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(aa).
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles and practices in effect from time to time within the United States applied consistently throughout the period involved.
“Governmental Authority” means any: (a) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature, (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign, supra-national or other government, (c) governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any governmental division, department, agency, commission, bureau, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or entity and any court or other tribunal, and any taxing authority) or (d) self-regulatory organization (including the NYSE).
“Hazardous Materials” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(aa).
“HIPAA” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(jj).
“Indemnified Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11.
“Intellectual Property Rights” means any and all of the following statutory and/or common law rights in any jurisdiction throughout the world: (i) patents, patent applications and patent disclosures; (ii) Internet domain names, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, trade names, logos and corporate names, and registrations and applications for registration thereof together with all translations, transliterations, adaptations, derivations and combinations thereof and including all of the goodwill associated therewith; (iii) copyrights and copyrightable works (registered or unregistered); (iv) trade secrets and other confidential information (including ideas, formulas, recipes, compositions, inventions, discoveries or invention disclosures and improvements (whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice)), know-how, manufacturing and production processes and techniques, research and development information, drawings, specifications, designs, plans, proposals, non-public data and databases, financial and marketing plans and customer and supplier lists and information; (v) all rights in software; (vi) registrations and applications for any of the foregoing; and (vii) other proprietary, intellectual property and/or industrial rights.
“Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions” means, with respect to the Company, the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions, in substantially the form of Exhibit C, executed by the Company and delivered to the Transfer Agent.
“IT Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(jj).
“Law” means any federal, state, national, supra-national, foreign, local or municipal or other law, statute, constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, edict, decree, rule, regulation, ruling, order, judgment or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Authority (including under the authority of the NYSE or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.).
“Lock-Up Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Material Adverse Effect” means any Effect, individually or together with any other Effect, that (a) has had, has, or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition, results of operations or prospects related thereto of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (b) prevents or materially interferes with the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or (c) results in the delisting of the Common Stock from the NYSE.
“New York Courts” means the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan.
“NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.
“Outside Date” means the fifth Business Day following the date of this Agreement.
“Permitted Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Per Share Purchase Price” means $2.70 per Share.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Personal Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(jj).
“Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(l).
“Press Release” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.
“Principal Trading Market” means the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, shall be the NYSE.
“Privacy Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(kk).
“Privacy Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(kk).
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Process” or “Processing” has the meanings set forth in Section 3.1(kk).
“Prohibited Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Purchaser” or “Purchasers” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Purchaser Deliverables” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(b).
“Purchaser Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11.
“Registrable Securities” has the meaning set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.
“Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement meeting the requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and covering the resale by the Purchasers of the Registrable Securities.
“Regulation D” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“Sanctioned Country” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(ee).
“Sanctions” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(ee).
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(r).
“SEC Reports” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(g).
“Secretary’s Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a)(v).
“Securities Act” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Shares” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Short Sales” include, without limitation, (i) all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, whether or not against the box, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges, forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, short sales, swaps, “put equivalent positions” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and (ii) sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or non-U.S. regulated brokers (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock).
“Subscription Amount” means, with respect to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Shares purchased hereunder by such Purchaser set forth in the “Aggregate Purchase Price” column opposite such Purchaser’s name in the table set forth on Annex A, in United States dollars and in immediately available funds, which amount represents the number of Shares purchased by such Purchaser multiplied by the applicable Per Share Purchase Price.
“Subsidiary” means any significant subsidiary of the Company.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Principal Trading Market is open for business.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Trading Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the schedules and exhibits attached hereto, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions and any other documents or agreements explicitly contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, or any successor transfer agent for the Company.
ARTICLE 2
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Purchase and Sale. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company will issue and sell to the Purchasers, and the Purchasers will purchase, severally and not jointly, the number of Shares set forth opposite the names of each such Purchaser under the heading “Number of Shares Purchased” on Annex A, for the aggregate purchase price set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser under the heading “Aggregate Purchase Price” on Annex A.
2.2 Closing.
(a) Closing. Upon the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 2.1, Section 2.2 and Article 5, the closing of the purchase and sale of the Shares (the “Closing”) shall take place remotely via exchange of executed documents and funds on the first Business Day after the date hereof (the “Closing Date”).
(b) Payment and Delivery of Shares. On or prior to the Closing Date and subject to the last sentence of this Section 2.2(b), each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount via wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account designated in Annex B or by other means approved by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date. At the Closing, the Company shall deliver to such Purchaser against payment therefor a book-entry statement from the Transfer Agent evidencing the number of Shares set forth opposite such Purchaser’s name on Annex A, registered in the name of such Purchaser (or its nominee in accordance with its delivery instructions), free and clear of any liens or restrictions (other than those arising under state and federal securities laws) and bearing the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b). If a Purchaser has delivered the Subscription Amount prior to the Closing Date, and the Closing does not occur for any reason on or prior to the fifth Business Day following the expected Closing Date, the Company shall promptly (but not later than one Business Day thereafter) return such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount to such Purchaser by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by such Purchaser, and any book entries for the Shares shall be deemed cancelled; provided that, unless this Agreement has been terminated pursuant to Section 6.18, such return of funds shall not terminate this Agreement or relieve the Purchasers of their respective obligations to purchase the Shares at the Closing.
2.3 Closing Deliverables.
(a) On or prior to the Closing, the Company shall issue, deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following (the “Company Deliverables”):
(i) evidence of the issuance of the Shares in the names of such Purchaser by book-entry statement from the Transfer Agent (in the name of such Purchaser as set forth on such Purchaser’s Stock Issuance Questionnaire, the form of which is included as Exhibit B hereto);
(ii) a legal opinion of Company Counsel, dated as of the Closing Date and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Purchasers, executed by such counsel and addressed to the Purchasers;
(iii) the Registration Rights Agreement, duly executed by the Company;
(iv) duly executed Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver, on an expedited basis, the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of such Purchaser under the heading “Number of Shares Purchased” on Annex A attached hereto, registered in the name of such Purchaser (or its nominee, as directed by such Purchaser);
(v) a certificate of the Secretary of the Company (the “Secretary’s Certificate”), dated as of the Closing Date, (A) certifying the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof approving the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the issuance of the Shares, (B) certifying the current versions of the restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Charter”), and amended and restated by-laws (the “Bylaws”), each of the Company and (C) certifying as to the signatures and authority of persons signing the Transaction Documents and related documents on behalf of the Company;
(vi) the Compliance Certificate referred to in Section 5.1(h);
(vii) a certificate evidencing the formation and good standing of the Company issued by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, as of a date within three Business Days of the Closing Date; and
(viii) a certificate evidencing the Company’s qualification as a foreign corporation and good standing issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of each jurisdiction in which the Company is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, as of a date within four Business Days of the Closing Date.
(b) On or prior to the Closing, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following (the “Purchaser Deliverables”):
(i) this Agreement, duly executed by such Purchaser;
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, in United States dollars and in immediately available funds, in the amount set forth in the “Aggregate Purchase Price” column opposite such Purchaser’s name in the table set forth on Annex A by wire transfer to the Company;
(iii) the Registration Rights Agreement, duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(iv) a fully completed Stock Issuance Questionnaire, duly executed by such Purchaser, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
2.4 Lock-up Period
(a) Purchaser hereby agrees not to, during the period (the “Lock-Up Period”) commencing from the Closing and ending on the earlier of (A) the one (1) year anniversary of the date of the Closing or (B) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Company’s stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of the Company’s Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property: (i) lend, offer, pledge, hypothecate, encumber, donate, assign, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Shares, (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Shares, (iii) engage in any short sales, including all such sales defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges, forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, swaps and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and sales and other transactions through non-US broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers or (iv) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, whether any such transaction described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above is to be settled by delivery of Shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise (any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv), a “Prohibited Transfer”). The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the transfer of any or all of the Shares owned by Purchaser (I) by gift, (II) by will or other testamentary document or intestate succession upon the death of Purchaser, (III) to any Permitted Transferee (as defined below), (IV) pursuant to a court order or settlement agreement or other domestic order related to the distribution of assets in connection with the dissolution of marriage or civil union, or (V) to the Company pursuant to any contractual arrangement in effect on the Effective Date that provides for the repurchase of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment with or service to the Company; provided, however, that in any of cases (I), (II), (III) or (IV) above, it shall be a condition to such transfer that the transferee executes and delivers to the Company an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the Shares subject to the provisions of this Agreement applicable to Purchaser, and there shall be no further transfer of such Shares except in accordance with this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the term “Permitted Transferee” shall mean: (A) the members of Purchaser’s immediate family (for purposes of this Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean with respect to any natural person, any of the following: such person’s spouse, the siblings of such person and his or her spouse, and the direct descendants and ascendants (including adopted and step children and parents) of such person and his or her spouses and siblings), (B) any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of Purchaser or the immediate family of Purchaser, (C) if Purchaser is a trust, the trustor or beneficiary of such trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust, (D) if Purchaser is an entity, as a distribution to limited partners, shareholders, members of, or owners of similar equity interests in Purchaser upon the liquidation and dissolution of Purchaser, (E) any affiliate of Purchaser, and (F) any nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (A) through (E) above. Purchaser further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Company that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Purchaser may (a) exercise outstanding options, settle restricted stock units or other equity awards or exercise outstanding warrants that Purchaser owns and (b) establish trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Shares (each such plan, a “Trading Plan”); provided that (1) such Trading Plans do not provide for the transfer of Shares during the Lock-Up Period and (2) no filing by any party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement will be required or made voluntarily in connection with such Trading Plan during the Lock-Up Period in contravention of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions in this Section 2.4(a) shall cease to apply to any Purchaser if such Purchaser has accepted an appointment in the administration of the President of the United States or other employment with the United States federal government.
(b) If any Prohibited Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such purported Prohibited Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and the Company shall refuse to recognize any such purported transferee of the Shares as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 2.4, the Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Shares of Purchaser (and Permitted Transferees and assigns thereof) until the end of the Lock-Up Period.
(c) During the Lock-Up Period, each certificate evidencing any Shares shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED AS OF OCTOBER 22, 2024, BY AND AMONG THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN. A COPY OF SUCH SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”
ARTICLE 3
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents and warrants the following as of the date hereof and the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, in which cases the applicable representations and warranties of the Company shall be deemed to speak as of the applicable referenced dates) to each of the Purchasers:
(a) Due Organization; Subsidiaries. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the SEC Reports. The Company owns all of the issued and outstanding membership interests or capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries, and other than the membership interests or capital stock of the Subsidiaries, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity. Complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws or similar governing documents of the Company have been filed with the Commission on EDGAR, and no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the Closing. Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full limited liability company or corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the SEC Reports. Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign limited liability company or corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All of the outstanding membership interests or shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and are owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims, and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(b) Authorization; Enforcement; Validity. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into the Transaction Documents and to perform its obligations under and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. All corporate action on the part of the Company, its directors and stockholders necessary for the authorization, execution, sale, issuance and delivery of the Shares contemplated herein has been taken. Each of the Transaction Documents has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed and delivered by the Company and is, or when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its respective terms, except (i) as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, examinership, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application, (ii) as limited by Laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(c) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents and the issuance, sale and delivery of the securities to be sold by the Company under the Transaction Documents (including the issuance of the Shares), the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including without limitation, the issuance of the Shares) do not and will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would reasonably be expected to result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (or result in the creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to) (i) the Charter or Bylaws or similar organizational documents of any of the Subsidiaries, or (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties is subject, or (iii) any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, or (iv) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or the Shares (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NYSE), or (v) any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, except in the case of the foregoing clauses (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v), for any such breaches, violations, defaults, repurchases, redemptions, repayments or events that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(d) Filings, Consents and Approvals. Except for any Current Report on Form 8-K or Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities on Form D to be filed by the Company in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby, any required filing with the NYSE (other than the Supplemental Listing Application form for the listing of the Shares), the filing of the Registration Statement required to be filed by the Registration Rights Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is required to give any notice to, or make any filings with, or obtain any authorization, consent, or approval of any government or governmental agency in order to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Assuming the accuracy of the representations of the Purchasers in Section 3.2, no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration, qualification or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, self-regulatory organization, stock exchange or market (including the NYSE), or other governmental body is required for the execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents, the valid issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold pursuant to the Transaction Documents other than such as have been or will be made or obtained, or for any securities filings required to be made under federal or state securities laws applicable to the offering of the Shares (other than filings that have been made, or will be made, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the NYSE). The Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances that might prevent the Company from obtaining or effecting any of the registration, application or filings pursuant to this Section 3.1(d).
(e) Issuance of the Shares. The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized, and the Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights, except for any such rights that have been waived, and restrictions (other than any restrictions on transfer generally imposed under applicable securities laws).
(f) Capitalization. The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. As of August 14, 2024, there were (i) 28,177,917 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and (ii) 3,213,678 shares of Class C common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock or the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or capital stock of any Subsidiary.
(g) SEC Reports; Disclosure Materials. The Company has filed or furnished, as applicable, on a timely basis all forms, statements, schedules, certifications, reports and other documents required to be filed or furnished by it with the Commission under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act since July 19, 2023 (collectively, and in each case including all exhibits and schedules thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, the “SEC Reports”). As of the time it was filed with the Commission (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing), each of the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (as the case may be) and as of the time they were filed, none of the SEC Reports contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. There are no material outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Commission with respect to any of the SEC Reports.
(h) Financial Statements. As of their respective filing dates, the financial statements (including any related notes) contained or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports (i) complied as to form in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the published rules and regulations of the Commission applicable thereto, (ii) were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements or, in the case of unaudited financial statements, as permitted by Form 10-Q of the Commission, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments that are not reasonably expected to be material in amount) applied on a consistent basis unless otherwise noted therein throughout the periods indicated and (iii) fairly present, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the respective dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company for the periods covered thereby. Other than as expressly disclosed in the SEC Reports filed at least one Business Day prior to the date hereof, there has been no material change in the Company’s accounting methods or principles that would be required to be disclosed in the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the SEC Reports that are not so included as required. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the SEC Reports fairly present the information called for in all material respects and have been prepared in connection with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as set forth in the consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports filed at least one Business Day prior to the date hereof, the Company has not incurred any liabilities, contingent or otherwise, except those incurred in the ordinary course of business, consistent (as to amount and nature) with past practices since the date of such financial statements, none of which, individually or in the aggregate, have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The books of account and other financial records of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries are true and complete in all material respects.
(i) Independent Accountants. UHY LLP, whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries is included in the SEC Reports, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(j) Absence of Certain Changes. Since the date of the Balance Sheet, there has been (i) no Material Adverse Effect, (ii) no transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) no obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) no change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiaries, other than as described in the SEC Reports and Section 3.1(f) of this Agreement and (v) no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(k) Litigation. Except as described in the SEC Reports, there is no legal, governmental, administrative or regulatory investigation, action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers or directors is a party (in their respective capacities as such), or to which any property of the Company or the Subsidiaries is or would reasonably be expected to be subject, before any court, board, body, regulatory or non-regulatory administrative agency or competent authority, which if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Employment Matters. Except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization that is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code, including its subsidiaries, would have liability) (each a “Plan”) (i) is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Code; (ii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) has occurred for which the Company or any member of its Controlled Group would have any liability; and (B) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred or expects to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than for contributions to the Plan or premiums payable to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in each case in the ordinary course and without default); (iii) no Plan which is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA has failed to satisfy the minimum funding standard within the meaning of such sections of the Code or ERISA; and (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.
(m) Conduct of Business; Regulatory Permits. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default under the Charter, the Bylaws or their organizational charter or bylaws, respectively. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is in default of or in violation of, nor has the Company or any of its Subsidiaries received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any material license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which any of its properties may be bound or affected, or (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries.
(n) Title to Properties and Assets. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries own any real property; the Company and each of the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all tangible personal property described in the SEC Reports as being owned by any of them, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances, except those that do not materially interfere with the use or proposed use of such property by the Company or the Subsidiary, respectively, or as would not materially or adversely affect the value of such property; all the property described in the SEC Reports as being held under lease by the Company or a Subsidiary is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, except where such failure to hold such property would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except that the enforcement thereof may be subject to (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws relating to creditor’s rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
(o) Intellectual Property Rights.
(i) To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company and the Subsidiaries own, possess, license or have other rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service mark applications and registrations, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses, technology, know-how and other intellectual property rights and similar rights described in the Company’s SEC Reports as necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses and which the failure to so have would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Company Intellectual Property”). Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any Person. There is no pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any Person that the Company’s business as now conducted infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of another. To the Company’s Knowledge, there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights that would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their Intellectual Property Rights, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) To the Company’s Knowledge, all Company Intellectual Property is valid and enforceable and all maintenance/annuities fees have been timely paid. The Company has complied with its duty of disclosure under 37 CFR 1.56(c). The validity and/or enforceability of the Company Intellectual Property has not been challenged in any jurisdiction, and the Company is not aware of any facts that would give rise to such a challenge.
(p) Insurance. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective businesses and which is commercially reasonably for the current conduct of their respective businesses; to the Company’s Knowledge, all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and is expected to be fully in force at each time of purchase, if any; neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be able to (i) renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires or (ii) obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in any Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Company’s Accounting System. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that has been designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and any unauthorized access that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements is timely detected; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Disclosure Controls. The Company and its Subsidiaries have established and maintain and evaluate “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, no “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (as such terms are defined in Rule 1-02(a)(4) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) of the Company were identified in connection with the audit by the Company’s independent registered public accountants of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023; since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses and the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Company have made all certifications required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in each such certification are complete and correct in all material respects. The Company has taken all actions reasonably necessary to ensure that the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.
(s) Certain Fees. No person or entity will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Company or a Purchaser for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of the Company. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section 3.1(s) that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(t) Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2 of this Agreement, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Shares by the Company to the Purchasers under the Transaction Documents. The issuance and sale of the Shares hereunder does not contravene the rules and regulations of the Principal Trading Market.
(u) Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company is not, and will not be, immediately after receipt of payment for the Shares, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. Other than the Purchasers or as set forth in the SEC Reports, no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any securities of the Company other than (i) those offers and sales which are currently registered on an effective registration statement on file with the Commission and (ii) such rights as have been temporarily waived.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company’s Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to terminate the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Principal Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The Company is, and immediately following the Closing will be, in compliance with all applicable listing requirements of the Principal Trading Market. The Company has filed with the NYSE a Supplemental Listing Application form covering the Shares and has not received any objections from the NYSE with respect to such application with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby.
(x) Disclosure. The Company confirms that it has not provided, and none of its officers or directors nor any other Person acting on its or their behalf has provided, any Purchaser or its respective agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes material, non-public information except insofar as the existence, provisions and terms of the Transaction Documents and the proposed transactions hereunder and thereunder may constitute such information, all of which will be disclosed by the Company in the Press Release as contemplated by Section 4.4 hereof. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
(y) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, none of the Company, its Subsidiaries, any of its Affiliates nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any Person acting on its behalf has, directly or indirectly, at any time within the past six months, made any offers or sales of any Company security or solicited any offers to buy any security under circumstances that would (i) eliminate the availability of the exemption from registration under the Securities Act, including Regulation D, in connection with the offer and sale by the Company of the Shares as contemplated hereby or (ii) cause the offering of the Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable law, regulation or stockholder approval provisions, including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(z) Tax Matters. Except as described in the SEC Reports, all material tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries have been filed (subject to permitted extensions), and all material taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any material interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided. The Company is classified as a Subchapter C corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes.
(aa) Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with, and hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and the Subsidiaries are not aware of any non-compliance with Environmental Laws, any past or present events, conditions, activities, practices, actions, omissions or plans that could reasonably be expected to result in non-compliance with Environmental Laws or any current liabilities under Environmental Laws, that could individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and the Subsidiaries (i) are not the subject of any investigation known to the Company, (ii) have not received any notice or claim, (iii) are not a party to any pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding, (iv) are not bound by any judgment, decree or order or (v) have not entered into any agreement, in each case relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of any Hazardous Materials (as defined below) (as used herein, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization or other legal requirement relating to health, safety or the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials” means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law).
(bb) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any person acting on behalf of the Company has, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any of the Shares, or solicited any offers to buy any Shares, under any circumstances that would require registration under the Securities Act of the Shares, including by any form of general solicitation or general advertising.
(cc) Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Laws. None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers or directors or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries (i) has, directly or indirectly, made, offered, promised, or authorized the unlawful payment or provision of anything of value to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of any public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office, or (ii) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or the OECD Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions; the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the Company’s Knowledge, its controlled affiliates have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance therewith.
(dd) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended, the anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental authority involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened.
(ee) OFAC. None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers or directors or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is currently subject to or has been subject in the last five years to any sanctions administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or any other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (a “Sanctioned Country”), and the Company will not knowingly directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person or country that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is known to the Company to be the subject of Sanctions or a Sanctioned Country, respectively, or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor, or otherwise) of Sanctions. To best of the Company’s Knowledge, for the past five years, none of the Company or any Subsidiaries has engaged in any direct or indirect dealings or transactions with any person or country that, at the time of such dealing or transaction, was the subject of Sanctions or a Sanctioned Country, respectively.
(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Purchase of Shares. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Purchaser is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and that the obligations of each Purchaser under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents are several and not joint. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and any advice given by a Purchaser or any of its representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such Purchaser’s purchase of the Shares. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into the Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company and its representatives.
(gg) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which could reasonably be expected to directly or indirectly violate Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(hh) No Additional Agreements. The Company does not have any agreement or understanding (including side letters) with any Purchaser with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents other than as specified in the Transaction Documents.
(ii) No Disqualification Events. No “bad actor” disqualifying event described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i)-(viii) of the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”) is applicable to the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any Company Covered Person (as defined below), except for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii)-(iv) or (d)(3), is applicable. “Company Covered Person” means, with respect to the Company as an “issuer” for purposes of Rule 506 promulgated under the Securities Act, any person listed in the first paragraph of Rule 506(d)(1). The Company is not aware of any Person (other than any Company Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement. The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e).
(jj) Security. The Company and the Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all Personal Data (as defined below) that is in the Company’s possession, and sensitive, confidential or regulated data (collectively, the “Confidential Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Confidential Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Confidential Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) Protected Health Information as defined by the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”); (iv) “personal data” as defined by the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679), and (v) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person.
(kk) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company and its Subsidiaries are, and at all times since January 1, 2024 have been, in material compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security Laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage, retention, disclosure, transfer, disposal, or any other processing (collectively “Process” or “Processing”) of Personal Data, including HIPAA, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take all appropriate steps necessary to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security, and the Processing of Personal Data and Confidential Data (the “Privacy Statements”). To the Company’s Knowledge, none of such disclosures made or contained in any Privacy Statements have been materially inaccurate, misleading, incomplete, or in material violation of any Privacy Laws. The Company further certifies that neither it nor any of its Subsidiaries: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential claim, complaint, proceeding, regulatory proceeding or liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, contracts related to the Processing of Personal Data or Confidential Data, or Privacy Statements, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law or contract; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser hereby, for itself and for no other Purchaser, represents and warrants to the Company as follows:
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with the requisite corporate or, if such Purchaser is not a corporation, such partnership, limited liability company or other applicable power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the applicable Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Purchaser and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or, if such Purchaser is not a corporation, such partnership, limited liability company or other applicable like action, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, examinership, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally the enforcement of, creditors’ rights and remedies or by other equitable principles of general application.
(b) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Purchaser of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and the consummation by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Purchaser, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Purchaser is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any Law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including U.S. federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Purchaser, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Purchaser to perform its obligations hereunder.
(c) Investment Intent. Such Purchaser understands that the Shares are “restricted securities” and the offer and sale thereof have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable U.S. state securities law, and is acquiring the Shares as principal for its own account and not with a view to, or for distributing or reselling such Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable U.S. state or other securities laws, provided, however, that by making the representations herein, such Purchaser does not agree to hold any of the Shares for any minimum period of time and reserves the right, subject to the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of such Shares pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or under an exemption from such registration and in compliance with applicable U.S. federal, state and other securities laws. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Shares hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser does not presently have any agreement, plan or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any Person to distribute or effect any distribution of any of the Shares (or any securities which are derivatives thereof) to or through any person or entity in violation of federal securities law.
(d) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Shares, it was, and at the date hereof it is, an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act.
(e) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the Shares as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Shares published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any seminar or any other general advertisement. The purchase of the Shares by such Purchaser has not been solicited by or through anyone other than the Company.
(f) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Shares, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Shares.
(g) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the SEC Reports and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Shares and the merits and risks of investing in the Shares; (ii) access to information about the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Neither such inquiries nor any other investigation conducted by or on behalf of such Purchaser or its representatives or counsel shall modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the truth, accuracy and completeness of the SEC Reports and the Company’s representations and warranties contained in the Transaction Documents. Such Purchaser has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed decision with respect to its acquisition of the Shares.
(h) Certain Trading Activities. Other than with respect to the transactions contemplated herein, since the time that such Purchaser was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transactions contemplated hereby, the Purchaser has not, directly or indirectly, effected or agreed to effect any Short Sales. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the foregoing representation shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Shares covered by this Agreement and (ii) and in the case of a Purchaser whose investment adviser utilized an information barrier with respect to the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder after first being contacted by the Company or such other Person representing the Company, the representation set forth above shall only apply after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages such Purchaser’s assets was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder and, with respect to the Purchaser’s investment adviser, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company on behalf of other funds or investment vehicles for which the Purchaser’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages the assets of such other funds or investment vehicles for which the Purchaser’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement and to the Purchaser’s representatives or agents, including, but not limited to, the Purchaser’s legal, tax and investment advisors, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
(i) Brokers and Finders. No Person will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, any valid right, interest or claim against or upon the Purchaser for any commission, fee or other compensation pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into by or on behalf of the Purchaser. No Purchaser shall have any obligation with respect to any fees, or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees, in each case of the type contemplated by this Section 3.2(i) that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Transaction Documents.
(j) Independent Investment Decision. Such Purchaser has independently evaluated the merits of its decision to purchase Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents, and such Purchaser confirms that it has not relied on the advice of any other Purchaser’s business and/or legal counsel in making such decision. Such Purchaser understands that nothing in this Agreement or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchaser in connection with the purchase of the Shares constitutes legal, tax or investment advice. Such Purchaser has consulted such legal, tax and investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with its purchase of the Shares.
(k) Reliance on Exemptions. Such Purchaser understands that the Shares are being offered and sold to it in reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and accuracy of, and such Purchaser’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and understandings of such Purchaser set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of such Purchaser to acquire the Shares.
(l) No Governmental Review. Such Purchaser understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Shares or the fairness or suitability of the investment in the Shares nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Shares.
(m) Regulation M. Such Purchaser is aware that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of Shares and other activities with respect to the Shares by the Purchasers.
(n) Beneficial Ownership. The purchase by such Purchaser of the Shares issuable to it at the Closing will not result in such Purchaser (individually or together with any other Person with whom such Purchaser has identified, or will have identified, itself as part of a “group” in a public filing made with the Commission involving the Company’s securities) acquiring, or obtaining the right to acquire, beneficial ownership in excess of 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the voting power of the Company on a post transaction basis that assumes that such Closing shall have occurred. Such Purchaser does not presently intend to, alone or together with others, make a public filing with the Commission to disclose that it has (or that it together with such other Persons have) acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, as a result of such Closing when added to any other securities of the Company that it or they then own or have the right to acquire, beneficial ownership in excess of 19.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or the voting power of the Company on a post transaction basis that assumes that such Closing shall have occurred.
(o) Residency. Such Purchaser’s residence (if an individual) or offices in which its investment decision with respect to the Shares was made (if an entity) are located at the address set forth under such Purchaser’s name on Annex A hereto or as otherwise disclosed to the Company in writing (which writing may be an email from a Purchaser or its agent) or as otherwise specified below its address on Annex A hereto.
The Company and each of the Purchasers acknowledge and agree that no party to this Agreement has made or makes any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in this Article 3 and the Transaction Documents.
ARTICLE 4
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions.
(a) Compliance with Laws. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article 4, each Purchaser covenants that the Shares may be disposed of only pursuant to an effective registration statement under, and in compliance with the requirements of, the Securities Act, or pursuant to an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in compliance with any applicable U.S. state and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of the Shares other than (i) pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) to the Company, (iii) pursuant to Rule 144 (provided that the Purchaser provides the Company with reasonable assurances (in the form of seller and, if applicable, broker representation letters) that the securities may be sold pursuant to such rule), or (iv) in connection with a bona fide pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such transferred Shares under the Securities Act and, as a condition of transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and shall have the rights of a Purchaser under this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement with respect to such transferred Shares.
(b) Legends. Book-entry statements evidencing the Shares shall bear any legend as required by the “blue sky” Laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the following form:
THE OFFER AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE TO WHICH THIS CONFIRMATION RELATES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR TRANSFERRED PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE LAWS. THE COMPANY AND ITS TRANSFER AGENT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to time pledge, and/or grant a security interest in, some or all of the legended Shares in connection with applicable securities laws, pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement in compliance with a bona fide margin loan. Such a pledge would not be subject to approval or consent of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel to the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection with the pledge, but such legal opinion shall be required in connection with a subsequent transfer or foreclosure following default by the Purchaser transferee of the pledge. No notice shall be required of such pledge, but Purchaser’s transferee shall promptly notify the Company of any such subsequent transfer or foreclosure. Each Purchaser acknowledges that the Company shall not be responsible for any pledges relating to, or the grant of any security interest in, any of the Shares or for any agreement, understanding or arrangement between any Purchaser and its pledgee or secured party. At the appropriate Purchaser’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Shares may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Shares, as applicable, including the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) of the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of selling stockholders thereunder. Each Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that, except as otherwise provided in Section 4.1(c), any Shares subject to a pledge or security interest as contemplated by this Section 4.1(b) shall continue to bear the legend set forth in this Section 4.1(b) and be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in Section 4.1(b).
(c) Removal of Legends. The legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) above shall be removed and the Company shall cause its Transfer Agent to issue book-entry statements without such legend or any other legend to the holder of the applicable Shares upon which it is stamped or issue to such holder by electronic delivery at the applicable balance account at the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) (i) upon effectiveness of the initial Registration Statement covering the resale of the Shares, and upon request of a Purchaser (including, for the avoidance of doubt, by providing the Transfer Agent with an opinion of a counsel or other documentation acceptable to the Transfer Agent permitting such removal) and receipt of a representation letter from the Purchaser in form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, (ii) upon receipt of notice from a Purchaser stating that the applicable Shares have been sold pursuant to an effective Registration Statement, (iii) if such Shares are sold or transferred pursuant to Rule 144, or (iv) if such Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. Book-entry notations for the Shares subject to legend removal hereunder may be transmitted by the Company’s Transfer Agent to such Purchaser by crediting the DTC account of such Purchaser’s broker or other DTC participant as directed by such Purchaser, and the Company shall provide any legal opinions, or other information acceptable to the Transfer Agent in lieu of legal opinions, required by the Transfer Agent in connection with any such legend removal.
(d) Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions. The Company represents and warrants that no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 4.1(d) (or instructions that are consistent therewith) will be given by the Company to its Transfer Agent in connection with this Agreement, and that the Shares shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company as and to the extent provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and applicable law. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations under this Section 4.1(d) will cause irreparable harm to a Purchaser. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 4.1(d) may be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Section 4.1(d) that a Purchaser shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an order and/or injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate issuance and transfer, without the necessity of showing irreparable harm or economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.
4.2 Furnishing of Information. In order to enable the Purchasers to sell the Shares under Rule 144, until such time as Purchaser may sell the Shares without limitation under Rule 144 (including without the need for current public information required by Rule 144(i)(2)), the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act and, if during such period, the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the Purchasers to sell the Shares under Rule 144.
4.3 Integration. The Company shall not, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that no Affiliate of the Company shall, sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that will be integrated with the offer or sale of the Shares in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Shares to the Purchasers, or that will be integrated with the offer or sale of the Shares for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. By no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof (provided that, if this Agreement is executed between midnight and 9:00 a.m., New York City time on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. on the date hereof) (the “Disclosure Deadline”), the Company shall (a) issue a press release (the “Press Release”) disclosing (x) all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Transaction Documents and (y) all other material non-public information pertaining to the Company and its operations, to the extent such information has been provided or made available to any of the Purchasers prior to the issuance of the Press Release and (b) file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission describing the terms of the Transaction Documents (and including as exhibits to such Current Report on Form 8-K the material Transaction Documents and the Press Release); provided that the Press Release shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser or investment adviser of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser or an Affiliate of any Purchaser without the prior written consent of such Purchaser. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser or investment adviser of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser or an Affiliate of any Purchaser without the prior written consent of such Purchaser (i) in any press release or marketing materials or (ii) in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, except as required by U.S. federal securities law (A) in connection with any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement (which shall be subject to review and comment of the Purchasers pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement) or the filing of final Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto) with the Commission and (B) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, request of the Commission’s staff or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior written notice of and a reasonable opportunity to review such disclosure permitted under this subclause (ii). From and after the issuance of the Press Release, no Purchaser shall be in possession of any material, non-public information received from the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with any other Purchaser, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the Press Release, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the information provided in connection therewith; provided, however, that any disclosure may be made by the Purchaser to the Purchaser’s representatives or agents, including, but not limited to, the Purchaser’s legal, tax and investment advisors.
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement or Law (including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law) in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, in either case solely by virtue of receiving Shares under the Transaction Documents.
4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, including this Agreement, or as expressly required by any applicable securities law, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf, will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information regarding the Company that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information without the express written (email being sufficient) consent of such Purchaser, (i) unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have committed to customary obligations regarding the confidentiality and use of such information and (ii) except in the case of material, nonpublic information provided to an observer of the Board of Directors or member of the Board of Directors who is affiliated with such Purchaser. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder for working capital and general corporate purposes.
4.8 Principal Trading Market Listing. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to take all steps necessary to cause the Shares to be approved for listing on the Principal Trading Market as promptly as possible.
4.9 Form D; Blue Sky. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Shares as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon the written request of any Purchaser. The Company, on or before the Closing Date, shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for or to qualify the Shares for sale to the Purchasers under applicable securities or “blue sky” Laws of the states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification) and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon the written request of any Purchaser.
4.10 Short Sales After the Date Hereof. Such Purchaser shall not engage, directly or indirectly, in any transactions in the Company’s securities (including, without limitation, any Short Sales involving the Company’s securities) during the period from the date hereof until the earlier of such time as (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced as required by and described in Section 4.4 or (ii) this Agreement is terminated in full pursuant to Section 6.18.
4.11 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.11, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees, investment advisers and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners, investment advisers or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (i) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (ii) any Proceeding instituted against a Purchaser in any capacity, or any Purchaser Party, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser seeking indemnification, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a breach of such Purchaser’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents, or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may have with any such stockholder or any violations by the Purchaser of state or federal securities Laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance). Promptly after receipt by any such Person (the “Indemnified Person”) of notice of any demand, claim or circumstances that would or may give rise to a claim or the commencement of any Proceeding or investigation in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 4.11, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing and, (1) with respect to claims relating to clause (i) above, the Company shall assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, and shall assume the payment of all reasonable and documented fees and expenses relating to such Proceeding or investigation and (2) with respect to claims relating to clause (ii) above, the Indemnified Person shall have the right to assume the defense thereof or, in its sole discretion, consent to the assumption of defense by the Company, and shall so inform the Company in such notice; provided, however, that the failure of any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder except to the extent that the Company is actually and materially prejudiced by such failure to notify. In any such proceeding under clause (i) or, if the Indemnified Person has consented to the Company assuming defense of a proceeding under clause (ii), any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (x) the Company and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel; (y) the Company shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person in such proceeding; or (z) in the reasonable judgment of counsel to such Indemnified Person, representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. In the event of the circumstances described in the foregoing clause (z), if the Indemnified Person notifies the Company in writing that such Indemnified Person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Company, then the Company shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such Indemnified Person. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned or to the extent fees or costs incurred pursuant to this Section 4.11 are attributable to the Indemnified Person’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Purchasers in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents. Without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Person, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned, the Company shall not effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person from all liability arising out of such proceeding.
4.12 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Purchaser to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the Purchasers. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of shares of Common Stock or otherwise.
ARTICLE 5
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CLOSING
5.1 Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Purchasers to Purchase Shares. The obligation of each Purchaser to acquire Shares at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s reasonable satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by such Purchaser (as to itself only):
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of such date, except for such representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct in all respects as of such date.
(b) Performance. The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by it at or prior to the Closing.
(c) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, order, executive order, decree, judgment, writ, order, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated, issued or endorsed by any court of competent jurisdiction or any Governmental Authority that enjoins, prevents or prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(d) Consents. The Company shall have obtained in a timely fashion any and all consents, permits, approvals, registrations and waivers necessary for consummation of the purchase and sale of the Shares, all of which shall be and remain so long as necessary in full force and effect.
(e) Adverse Changes. Since the date of execution of this Agreement, no event or series of events shall have occurred that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(f) No Suspensions of Trading in Common Stock; No Stop Orders; Listing. The Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Principal Trading Market from trading on the Principal Trading Market nor shall suspension by the Commission or the Principal Trading Market have been threatened, either (i) in writing by the Commission or the Principal Trading Market or (ii) by falling below the minimum listing maintenance requirements of the Principal Trading Market. No stop order shall have been imposed by the NYSE, the Commission or any other Governmental Authority or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Stock. The Company shall have filed the Supplemental Listing Application for the listing of the Shares with the NYSE, and the NYSE shall have raised no objection to such application and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(g) Company Deliverables. The Company shall have delivered the Company Deliverables in accordance with Section 2.3(a).
(h) Compliance Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to each Purchaser a certificate, dated as of the Closing Date and signed by its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, certifying to the fulfillment of the conditions specified in Sections 5.1(a), (b), (e) and (f).
(i) Termination. This Agreement shall not have been terminated as to such Purchaser in accordance with Section 6.18 herein.
5.2 Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Company to issue Shares. The Company’s obligation to issue the Shares at the Closing to each Purchaser is subject to the fulfillment to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company on or prior to the Closing Date of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by the Company:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties made by each Purchaser in Section 3.2 hereof shall be true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties which are qualified as to materiality, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) as of the date when made, and as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of such date, except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties which are qualified as to materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects) as of such date.
(b) Performance. Such Purchaser shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by such Purchaser at or prior to the Closing Date.
(c) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, order, executive order, decree, judgment, writ, order, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated, issued or endorsed by any court of competent jurisdiction or any Governmental Authority that enjoins, prevents or prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(d) Purchaser Deliverables. Such Purchaser shall have delivered its Purchaser Deliverables in accordance with Section 2.3(b).
(e) Termination. This Agreement shall not have been terminated as to such Purchaser in accordance with Section 6.18 herein.
ARTICLE 6
MISCELLANEOUS
6.1 Fees and Expenses. The Company and the Purchasers shall each pay the fees and expenses of their respective advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares to the Purchasers.
6.2 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, discussions and representations, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules. Before or at the Closing, the Company and the Purchasers will execute and deliver to the other such further documents as may be reasonably requested in order to give practical effect to the intention of the parties under the Transaction Documents.
6.3 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via electronic mail at the e-mail address specified in this Section 6.3 prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via electronic mail at the e-mail address or facsimile number specified in this Section 6.3 on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (c) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given if delivered personally or if sent by U.S. certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; provided, in the case of clauses (a) and (b), that notice shall not be deemed given or effective if the sender receives an automatic system-generated response that such electronic mail was undeliverable. The address for such notices and communications shall be as follows:
If to the Company: | PSQ Holdings, Inc. |
250 S. Australian Avenue, Suite 1300 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 |
|
Attention: Jim Giudice | |
E-mail: jim.giudice@publicsq.com |
With a copy to: | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP |
101 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20001 |
|
Attention: Jonathan H. Talcott | |
E-mail: jon.talcott@nelsonmullins.com | |
If to a Purchaser: | To the address set forth under such Purchaser’s name on Annex A hereto; |
or such other address as may be designated in writing hereafter, in the same manner, by such Person.
6.4 Amendments; Waivers; No Additional Consideration. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers who collectively have subscribed to purchase at least a majority in interest of the Shares, provided that (i) no amendment to Section 4.4, Section 4.6, Section 4.10, Section 4.11, Section 4.12, this Section 6.4 or Section 6.18 may be made without the consent of each Purchaser, or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waiver is sought and (ii) any proposed amendment that would, by its terms, have a disproportionate and materially adverse effect on any Purchaser shall require the consent of such Purchaser(s). No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Purchaser to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any Transaction Document unless the same consideration is also offered to all Purchasers (in the case of amendments or waivers following Closing, who then hold Shares). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, without the express written consent of the Purchaser, this Agreement may not be amended, modified or waived to increase or decrease the number of Shares that such Purchaser is obligated to purchase hereunder or to increase or decrease the purchase price to be paid by such Purchaser for such Shares.
6.5 Construction. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. This Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents. As used in this Agreement, the words “include” and “including,” and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”
6.6 Successors and Assigns. The provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. This Agreement, or any rights or obligations hereunder, may not be assigned by the Company without the prior written consent of each Purchaser. Any Purchaser may assign its rights hereunder in whole or in part to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Shares in compliance with the Transaction Documents and applicable law, provided such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Shares, by the terms and conditions of this Agreement that apply to the Purchasers.
6.7 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except the Purchaser Parties are intended beneficiaries of Section 4.11.
6.8 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective Affiliates, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the New York Courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such New York Court, or that such Proceeding has been commenced in an improper or inconvenient forum. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
6.9 Survival. Subject to applicable statute of limitations, the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Shares.
6.10 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, or by any electronic signature complying with the U.S. ESIGN Act of 2000 or the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act, such signature shall create a legally valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
6.11 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, the validity and enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the parties will attempt to agree upon a valid and enforceable provision that is a reasonable substitute therefor, and upon so agreeing, shall incorporate such substitute provision in this Agreement.
6.12 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights.
6.13 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Shares is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company may issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof, or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Transfer Agent of such loss, theft or destruction and the execution by the holder thereof of a customary lost certificate affidavit of that fact and an agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and the Transfer Agent for any losses in connection therewith or, if required by the Transfer Agent, a bond in such form and amount as is required by the Transfer Agent. The applicants for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs associated with the issuance of such replacement Shares. If a replacement certificate or instrument evidencing any Shares is requested due to a mutilation thereof, the Company may require delivery of such mutilated certificate or instrument as a condition precedent to any issuance of a replacement.
6.14 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by Law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents, without the requirement of posting a bond. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations described in the foregoing sentence and hereby agree to waive in any action for specific performance of any such obligation (other than in connection with any action for a temporary restraining order) the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
6.15 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person under any Law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
6.16 Adjustments in Share Numbers and Prices. In the event of any stock split, subdivision, dividend or distribution payable in shares of Common Stock (or other securities or rights convertible into, or entitling the holder thereof to receive directly or indirectly shares of Common Stock), combination or other similar recapitalization or event occurring after the date hereof and prior to the Closing, each reference in any Transaction Document to a number of shares or a price per share shall be deemed to be amended to appropriately account for such event.
6.17 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. The decision of each Purchaser to purchase Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents has been made by such Purchaser independently of any other Purchaser and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, affairs, operations, assets, properties, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary which may have been made or given by any other Purchaser or by any agent or employee of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser and any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any other Purchaser (or any other Person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statement or opinions. Nothing contained herein or in any Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group (including, without limitation, a “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser acknowledges that no other Purchaser has acted as agent for such Purchaser in connection with making its investment hereunder and that no Purchaser will be acting as agent of such Purchaser in connection with monitoring its investment in the Shares or enforcing its rights under the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Purchaser. It is expressly understood that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
6.18 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the sale and purchase of the Shares abandoned at any time prior to the Closing (i) automatically if the Closing has not been consummated on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Outside Date or (ii) by a Purchaser (with respect to itself) if any of the conditions set forth in Section 5.1 shall have become incapable of fulfillment, and shall not have been waived by such Purchaser; provided, however, that the right to terminate this Agreement under clause (ii) shall not be available to any Person whose failure to comply with its obligations under this Agreement has been the cause of or resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such time. Nothing in this Section 6.18 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its obligations under this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents. In the event of a termination pursuant to this Section 6.18, the Company shall promptly notify all non-terminating Purchasers. Upon a termination in accordance with this Section 6.18, the Company and the terminating Purchaser(s) shall not have any further obligation or liability (including arising from such termination) to the other, and no Purchaser will have any liability to any other Purchaser under the Transaction Documents as a result therefrom.
6.19 Waivers of Conflicts. Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, counsel for the Company, may have in the past performed and may continue to perform legal services to one or more Purchasers or their affiliates in matters unrelated to the transactions described in this Agreement, including the representation of one or more Purchasers or their affiliates in matters of a similar nature to such transactions. Accordingly, except as otherwise agreed between the Company and a Purchaser, each party to this Agreement hereby (a) acknowledges that they have had an opportunity to ask for information relevant to this disclosure; and (b) gives its informed consent to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP’s representation of (i) one or more Purchasers or their affiliates in such unrelated matters and (ii) the Company in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
6.20 Arm’s Length Transaction. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the transactions described in this Agreement are an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the parties, (ii) the Purchasers have not assumed nor will they assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in the Company’s favor with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto, and the Purchasers have no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except those obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents to which they are a party, and (iii) the Company’s decision to enter into the Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company and its representatives.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
PSQ HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
PURCHASER: | ||
[INVESTOR] | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
ANNEX A
SCHEDULE OF PURCHASERS
Purchaser Name and Address | Number of Shares Purchased | Aggregate Purchase Price | ||
TOTAL | 1,981,483 | $5,350,004.10 |
A-
ANNEX B
WIRE INSTRUCTIONS
B-
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT B
STOCK ISSUANCE QUESTIONNAIRE
Pursuant to Section 2.2(b) of the Agreement, please provide us with the following information:
1. | The exact name that the Shares are to be registered in (this is the name that will appear on the book-entry statements). You may use a nominee name if appropriate: |
2. | The relationship between the Purchaser of the Shares and the Registered Holder listed in response to Item 1 above: |
3. | The mailing address, telephone and telecopy number of the Registered Holder listed in response to Item 1 above: |
4. | The U.S. Tax Identification Number (or, if an individual, the U.S. Social Security Number) of the Registered Holder listed in response to Item 1 above: |
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF IRREVOCABLE TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS
As of [●], 2024
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
1 State Street, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10004-1561
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is made to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 22, 2024 (the “Agreement”), by and among PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the purchasers named on the signature pages thereto (collectively, and including permitted transferees, the “Holders”), pursuant to which the Company is issuing to the Holders an aggregate of 1,981,483 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock” and such shares, the “Shares”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.
This letter shall serve as our irrevocable authorization and direction to you to issue the Shares as book-entry restricted shares in the names and denominations specified on Schedule I hereto. The Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and are, therefore, “restricted securities.” Accordingly, the Shares shall bear the following restrictive legend:
THE OFFER AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE TO WHICH THIS CONFIRMATION RELATES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR TRANSFERRED PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE LAWS. THE COMPANY AND ITS TRANSFER AGENT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.
Please be advised that the Holders are relying upon this letter as an inducement to enter into the Agreement and, accordingly, each Holder is a third-party beneficiary to these instructions.
Very truly yours, | ||
PSQ Holdings, Inc. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Exhibit 10.2
FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of October 22, 2024, by and among PSQ Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the several purchasers signatory hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, among the Company and each Purchaser party thereto (the “Purchase Agreement”).
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each of the Purchasers agree as follows:
1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Advice” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Allowed Suspension” has the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Common Stock” means the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and stock of any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Effective Date” means the date that the Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a) is first declared effective by the Commission.
“Effectiveness Deadline” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or the New Registration Statement, the 90th calendar day following the filing date of such registration statement (or, in the event the Commission reviews and has written comments to the Initial Registration Statement or the New Registration Statement, the 120th calendar day following such filing date); provided, however, that (i) if the Company is notified by the Commission that the Initial Registration Statement or the New Registration Statement will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Deadline as to such Registration Statement shall be the fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above; and (ii) if the Effectiveness Deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or other day that the Commission is closed for business, the Effectiveness Deadline shall be extended to the next Business Day on which the Commission is open for business.
“Effectiveness Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Filing Deadline” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required to be filed pursuant to Section 2(a), no later than the 180th calendar day following the Closing Date, provided, however, that if the Filing Deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or other day that the Commission is closed for business, the Filing Deadline shall be extended to the next Business Day on which the Commission is open for business.
“FINRA” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(i).
“Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.
“Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Indemnifying Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Initial Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Losses” has the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“New Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Principal Market” means the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of the Closing Date, shall be the New York Stock Exchange.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430B promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Purchase Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Purchaser” or “Purchasers” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Registrable Securities” means all of (i) the Shares and (ii) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the Shares; and provided, further, that, with respect to a particular Holder, such Holder’s Shares shall cease to be Registrable Securities upon the earlier to occur of the following: (A) a sale pursuant to a Registration Statement or Rule 144 under the Securities Act (in which case, only such security sold by the Holder shall cease to be a Registrable Security); and (B) such Shares become eligible for resale by the Holder under Rule 144 without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required by Rule 144(c) or Rule 144(i)(2) thereunder and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, pursuant to a written opinion letter of counsel for the Company to such effect, addressed, delivered and reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent.
“Registration Statements” means any one or more registration statements of the Company filed under the Securities Act that cover the resale of any of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement (including without limitation the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement and any Remainder Registration Statements), amendments and supplements to such Registration Statements, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Registration Statements.
“Remainder Registration Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“Rule 172” means Rule 172 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“Rule 461” means Rule 461 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such Rule.
“SEC Guidance” means (i) any publicly available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff; provided, that any such oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests are reduced to writing by the Commission and (ii) the Securities Act.
“Selling Stockholder Questionnaire” means a questionnaire in the form attached as Annex B hereto, or such other form of questionnaire or information reasonably acceptable to the Company provided to the Company in connection with the preparation of a Registration Statement hereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued to the Purchasers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Principal Market is open for business.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
2. Registration.
(a) On or prior to the Filing Deadline, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities not then registered on an existing and effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 or, if Rule 415 is not available for offers and sales of the Registrable Securities, by such other means of distribution of Registrable Securities as the Holders may reasonably specify (the “Initial Registration Statement”). The Initial Registration Statement shall be on Form S-1 subject to the provisions of Section 2(d) and shall contain (except if otherwise required pursuant to written comments received from the Commission upon a review of such Registration Statement) the “Plan of Distribution” section substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex A (which may be modified to respond to comments, if any, provided by the Commission). Notwithstanding the registration obligations set forth in this Section 2, in the event the Commission informs the Company that all of the Registrable Securities cannot, as a result of the application of Rule 415, be registered for resale as a secondary offering on a single registration statement, the Company agrees to promptly (i) inform each of the Holders thereof and use its commercially reasonable efforts to file amendments to the Initial Registration Statement as required by the Commission and/or (ii) withdraw the Initial Registration Statement and file a new registration statement (a “New Registration Statement”), in either case covering the maximum number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered by the Commission, on Form S-1; provided, however, that prior to filing such amendment or New Registration Statement, the Company shall be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance, including without limitation, the Securities Act Rules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations Question 612.09. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the Commission or any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation of the number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement as a secondary offering (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater number of Registrable Securities), unless otherwise directed in writing by a Holder as to its Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities to be registered on such Registration Statement will first be reduced by Registrable Securities not acquired pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (whether pursuant to registration rights or otherwise), and second by Registrable Securities represented by Shares applied to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the total number of Shares held by such Holders, subject to a determination by the Commission that certain Holders must be reduced first based on the number of Shares held by such Holders. In the event of a cutback hereunder, the Company shall give the Holder at least one Trading Day prior notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. In the event the Company amends the Initial Registration Statement or files a New Registration Statement, as the case may be, in accordance with the foregoing, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission, as promptly as allowed by Commission or SEC Guidance provided to the Company or to registrants of securities in general, one or more registration statements on Form S-1 or such other form available to register for resale those Registrable Securities that were not registered for resale on the Initial Registration Statement, as amended, or the New Registration Statement (the “Remainder Registration Statements”). No Holder shall be named as an “underwriter” in any Registration Statement without such Holder’s prior written consent.
(b) The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Registration Statement to be declared effective by the Commission as soon as practicable and, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or the New Registration Statement, as applicable, no later than the Effectiveness Deadline (including filing with the Commission a request for acceleration of effectiveness in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated under the Securities Act), and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep each Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (i) such time as all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been publicly sold by the Holders; or (ii) the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement may be sold by non-affiliates without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall request effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of 4:00 p.m. New York City time on a Trading Day. The Company shall promptly notify the Holders via e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto on the same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the Commission, which date of confirmation shall initially be the date requested for effectiveness of such Registration Statement. The Company shall, by 9:30 a.m. New York City time on the first Trading Day after the Effective Date, file a final Prospectus with the Commission, as required by Rule 424(b) and shall provide the Purchasers with copies of the final Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. The Company shall promptly inform each Holder in writing if, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Holder is required to deliver a Prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities.
(c) Each Holder of Registrable Securities to be sold agrees to furnish to the Company a completed Selling Stockholder Questionnaire not more than five Trading Days following the date of this Agreement. At least 10 Trading Days prior to the first anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement for any registration under this Agreement, the Company will notify each Holder of the information the Company requires from that Holder for inclusion in the Registration Statement other than the information contained in the Selling Stockholder Questionnaire, if any, which shall be completed and delivered to the Company promptly upon request and, in any event, within three Trading Days prior to the applicable anticipated filing date. Each Holder further agrees that it shall not be entitled to be named as a selling securityholder in the Registration Statement or use the Prospectus for offers and resales of Registrable Securities at any time, unless such Holder has provided such information to the Company and responded to any reasonable requests for further information as described in the previous sentence. Each Holder acknowledges and agrees that the information in the Selling Stockholder Questionnaire or request for further information as described in this Section 2(c) will be used by the Company in the preparation of the Registration Statement and hereby consents to the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement (subject to such Holder’s right to timely review the Registration Statement as set forth herein).
(d) The Company undertakes to register the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 promptly after such form is available, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the Commission.
3. Registration Procedures
In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:
(a) Not less than three Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement and not less than one Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for Annual Reports on Form 10-K, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K and any similar or successor reports), (i) furnish to each Holder copies of such Registration Statement, Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, as proposed to be filed, which documents will be subject to the review of such Holder (it being acknowledged and agreed that if a Holder does not object to or comment on the aforementioned documents within such three Trading Day or one Trading Day period, as the case may be, then the Holder shall be deemed to have consented to and approved the use of such documents) and (ii) to the extent that a Holder is identified in the Registration Statement as an “underwriter” (as defined in the Securities Act), use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent registered public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not file any Registration Statement or amendment or supplement thereto in a form to which a Holder reasonably objects in good faith, provided that, such Holder notifies the Company of such objection in writing within the three Trading Day or one Trading Day periods described above, as applicable.
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements, to each Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for its Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably practicable to any comments received from the Commission with respect to each Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and, as promptly as reasonably possible, provide the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to such Registration Statement that pertains to the Holders as “Selling Stockholders” but not any comments that would result in the disclosure to the Holders of material and non-public information concerning the Company (unless such Holder consents to receive such material and non-public information); and (iv) comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities shall have been disposed of (subject to the terms of this Agreement) in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof as set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented; provided, however, that each Purchaser shall be responsible for the delivery of the Prospectus to the Persons to whom such Purchaser sells any of the Registrable Securities (including in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act) to the extent required under the Securities Act, and each Purchaser agrees to dispose of Registrable Securities in compliance with the “Plan of Distribution” described in the Registration Statement and otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. In the case of amendments and supplements to a Registration Statement which are required to be filed pursuant to this Agreement (including pursuant to this Section 3(b)) by reason of the Company filing a report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K or any analogous report under the Exchange Act, the Company shall have incorporated such report by reference into such Registration Statement, if applicable, or shall file such amendments or supplements with the Commission on the same day on which the Exchange Act report which created the requirement for the Company to amend or supplement such Registration Statement was filed.
(c) Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, if given pursuant to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made, provided that the Company shall omit any material, non-public information relating to the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries) as promptly as reasonably practicable (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than one Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day: (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on any Registration Statement (in which case the Company shall provide to each of the Holders true and complete copies of all comments that pertain to the Holders as a “Selling Stockholder” or to the “Plan of Distribution” and all written responses thereto, but not information that the Company believes would constitute material and non-public information); and (C) with respect to each Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information that pertains to the Holders as “Selling Stockholders” or the “Plan of Distribution”; (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion or incorporation by reference therein or any statement made in such Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of such Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus, form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that, upon the advice of legal counsel, the Company’s board of directors reasonably believes may be material and that would require additional disclosure by the Company in the Registration Statement of such material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for keeping confidential and the non-disclosure of which in the Registration Statement would be expected, in the reasonable determination of the Company’s board of directors, upon the advice of legal counsel, to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements, provided that, any and all such information shall remain confidential to each Holder until such information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure by a Holder is required by law; and provided, further, that notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential, each such Holder makes no acknowledgement that any such information is material, non-public information.
(d) Use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, as soon as practicable.
(e) If requested by a Holder, furnish to such Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that the Company shall have no obligation to provide any document pursuant to this clause that is available on the Commission’s EDGAR system.
(f) Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the registration or qualification) of the resale of such Registrable Securities (or, in the case of qualification, of such Registrable Securities for the resale) by the Holder under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(g) Cooperate with such Holder to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or book entry statements, as applicable, representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to the Registration Statement, which certificates or statements shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement and under law, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holders may reasonably request.
(h) Following the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(c), as promptly as reasonably practicable (taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event), prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to the affected Registration Statements or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, no Registration Statement nor any Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus, form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made), not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3(c) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(h) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus in accordance with the time periods set forth in Section 6(d), which may be extended only in accordance with Section 6(f). For the avoidance of doubt, the Company’s rights under this Section 3(h) shall include suspensions of availability arising from the filing of a post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement to update the Prospectus therein to include the information contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which suspensions may extend for the amount of time reasonably required to respond to any comments of the staff of the Commission on such amendment and which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall be in accordance with the time periods set forth in Section 6(d), which may be extended only in accordance with Section 6(f).
(i) The Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to (i) the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and any Affiliate thereof, (ii) any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) affiliations, (iii) any natural persons who have the power to vote or dispose of the Common Stock and (iv) any other information as may be requested by the Commission, FINRA or any state securities commission.
(j) The Company shall cooperate with any registered broker through which a Holder proposes to resell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 as requested by any such Holder and the Company shall pay the filing fee required for the first such filing within two Business Days of the request therefor.
(k) If at any time the Commission takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act or requires any Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the Commission that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Holders is an “underwriter.”
4. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the Company’s performance of or compliance with its obligations under this Agreement (excluding any underwriting discounts and selling commissions and all legal fees and expenses of legal counsel for any Holder) shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent registered public accountants (A) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading Market on which the Common Stock are then listed for trading, (B) with respect to compliance with applicable state securities or blue sky laws (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with blue sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities and determination of the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as requested by the Holders) and (C) if not previously paid by the Company in connection with Section 3(j) above, with respect to any filing that may be required to be made by any broker through which a Holder intends to make sales of Registrable Securities with FINRA pursuant to the FINRA Rule 5110, so long as the broker is receiving no more than a customary brokerage commission in connection with such sale), (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of printing prospectuses if the printing of prospectuses is reasonably requested by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees, expenses and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the registrations and consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company be responsible for any underwriting, broker or similar fees or commissions of any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.
5. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Holder and each of their respective officers, directors, agents, partners, members, managers, stockholders, Affiliates, investment advisers and employees of each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, partners, members, managers, stockholders, agents, investment advisers and employees of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable costs of preparation and investigation and reasonable attorneys’ fees), expenses and disbursements (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, that arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or its agents of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or any action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any registration, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (A) such untrue statements, alleged untrue statements, omissions or alleged omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that each Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), (B) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(iii)-(vi), related to the use by a Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated and defined in Section 6(d) below, to the extent that following the receipt of the Advice the misstatement or omission giving rise to such Loss would have been corrected or (C) to the extent that any such Losses arise out of the Purchaser’s (or any other indemnified Person’s) failure to send or give a copy of the Prospectus or supplement (as then amended or supplemented), if required, pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule) to the Persons asserting an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Registrable Securities to such Person if such statement or omission was corrected in such Prospectus or supplement. The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of an Indemnified Party (as defined in Section 5(c)) and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Holders.
(b) Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, arising out of or are based solely upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or any form of prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus, or any form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading (i) to the extent that such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein or (ii) to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement (it being understood that the Holder has approved Annex A hereto for this purpose), such Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (iii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(c)(iii)-(vi), to the extent related to the use by such Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have materially and adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.
An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees, expenses and disbursements of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Indemnified Parties unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees, expenses and amounts; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that a conflict of interest exists if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party); provided, that the Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for the fees, expenses and disbursements of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all Indemnified Parties. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.
Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all fees, expenses and disbursements of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section 5) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within 20 Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided, that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees, expenses and disbursements applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is finally judicially determined to not be entitled to indemnification hereunder. The failure to deliver written notice to the Indemnifying Party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such Indemnifying Party of any liability to the Indemnified Party under this Section 5, except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party is materially and adversely prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.
(d) Contribution. If a claim for indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(b) is unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient, other than as expressly specified therein, to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such Losses, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees, expenses or disbursements incurred by such party in connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees, expenses or disbursements if the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 was available to such party in accordance with its terms.
The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), (A) no Holder shall be required to contribute, in the aggregate with any other amounts payable by it under this Section 5, any amount in excess of the net proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation and (B) no contribution will be made under circumstances where the maker of such contribution would not have been required to indemnify the Indemnified Party under the fault standards set forth in this Section 5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 5 are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties and are not in diminution or limitation of the indemnification provisions under the Purchase Agreement.
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to seek specific performance of its rights under this Agreement, without the requirement of posting a bond. The Company and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b) No Piggyback on Registrations; Prohibition on Filing Other Registration Statements. Except for any such rights that have been waived, neither the Company nor any of its security holders (other than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include securities of the Company in a Registration Statement other than the Registrable Securities and the Company shall not prior to the Effective Date enter into any agreement providing any such right to any of its security holders. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Agreement shall not impact the terms of any lock-up agreement entered into by Purchaser for the benefit of the Company on or about the date hereof.
(c) Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it (unless an exemption therefrom is available) in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement and shall sell the Registrable Securities only in accordance with a method of distribution described in the Registration Statement, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
(d) Discontinued Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(c)(iii)-(vi), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no Holder shall be required to discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement by virtue of the delivery by the Company of a notice of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(c)(vi) on more than two occasions or for more than 90 total calendar days, in each case during any twelve-month period, or for more than 45 calendar days during any 90-day period (an “Allowed Suspension”).
(e) No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date hereof, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.
(f) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, or waived unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and Holders holding no less than a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities, provided that (i) any party may give a waiver as to itself and (ii) any proposed amendment that would, by its terms, have a disproportionate and materially adverse effect on any Holder shall require the consent of such Holder(s). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates and (2) none of the definitions of Filing Deadline, Effectiveness Deadline or Effectiveness Period, Section 3(c), Section 5, Section 6(d), or the provisions of this sentence, may be amended, modified, or supplemented except with the consent of each Holder.
(g) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
(h) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. The Company may not assign its rights (except by merger or in connection with another entity acquiring all or substantially all of the Company’s assets) or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all the Holders of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign its respective rights hereunder in the manner and to the Persons as permitted under the Purchase Agreement; provided in each case that (i) the Holder agrees in writing with the transferee or assignee to assign such rights and related obligations under this Agreement, and for the transferee or assignee to assume such obligations, and a copy of such agreement is furnished to the Company within a reasonable time after such assignment, (ii) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee or assignee and the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned, (iii) at or before the time the Company received the written notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this sentence, the transferee or assignee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein and (iv) the transferee is an “accredited investor,” as that term is defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D.
(i) Execution and Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same Agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
(j) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(k) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.
(l) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their good faith reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
(m) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(n) Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser hereunder, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser hereunder. The decision of each Purchaser to purchase Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents has been made by such Purchaser independently of any other Purchaser and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, affairs, operations, assets, properties, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary which may have been made or given by any other Purchaser or by any agent or employee of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser and any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any other Purchaser (or any other Person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statement or opinions. Nothing contained herein or in any Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group (including, without limitation, a “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser acknowledges that no other Purchaser has acted as agent for such Purchaser in connection with making its investment hereunder and that no Purchaser will be acting as agent of such Purchaser in connection with monitoring its investment in the securities or enforcing its rights under the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any Proceeding for such purpose. The Company acknowledges that each of the Purchasers has been provided with the same Registration Rights Agreement for the purpose of closing a transaction with multiple Purchasers and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Purchaser. It is expressly understood that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
(o) Current Public Information. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the Commission that may at any time permit the Holders to sell shares of Common Stock to the public without registration, for so long as the Shares remain outstanding, the Company covenants and agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to: (i) make and keep adequate current public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until such date on which the Holders no longer hold any Registrable Securities; and (ii) file with the Commission in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
PSQ HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
[INVESTOR] | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
ANNEX A
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION1
We are registering resales of the shares of Class A common stock of PSQ Holdings, Inc., par value of $0.0001 per share, or the Common Stock, which we refer to herein as “Resale Shares,” issued to the selling stockholders to permit the sale, transfer or other disposition of the Resale Shares by the selling stockholders or their donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest from time to time after the date of this prospectus. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders of the Resale Shares. We will, or will procure to, bear all fees and expenses incident to our obligation to register the Resale Shares.
The selling stockholders may sell all or a portion of the Resale Shares beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time, directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers or agents. If the Resale Shares are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the selling stockholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts (it being understood that the selling stockholders shall not be deemed to be underwriters solely as a result of their participation in this offering) or commissions or agent’s commissions. The Resale Shares may be sold on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market and in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions. The selling stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when selling Resale Shares:
● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
● | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
● | to or through underwriters or purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
● | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
● | privately negotiated transactions; |
● | settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part; |
● | broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such Resale Shares at a stipulated price per Share; |
● | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise; |
● | a combination of any such methods of sale; and |
● | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the Resale Shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as amended, or the Securities Act, as permitted by that rule, or Section 4(a)(1) under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of those provisions.
Broker-dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. If the selling stockholders effect such transactions by selling Resale Shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders or commissions from purchasers of the Resale Shares for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal. Such commissions will be in amounts to be negotiated, but, except as set forth in a supplement to this prospectus, in the case of an agency transaction will not be in excess of a customary brokerage commission in compliance with FINRA Rule 2121; and in the case of a principal transaction a markup or markdown in compliance with FINRA IM-2121.01.
1 | NTD: Definitions to be conformed to resale S-1. |
In connection with sales of the Resale Shares or otherwise, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the Resale Shares in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell Resale Shares short and if such short sale takes place after the date that this Registration Statement is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, the selling stockholders may deliver Resale Shares covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed Resale Shares in connection with such short sales. The selling stockholders may also loan or pledge Resale Shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such Resale Shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the selling stockholders have been advised that they may not use Resale Shares the resale of which has been registered on this registration statement to cover short sales of our Common Stock made prior to the date the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, has been declared effective by the SEC.
The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the Resale Shares owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the Resale Shares from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, amending, if necessary, the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer and donate the Resale Shares in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.
The selling stockholders and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of the Resale Shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. In such event, any commissions paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer or agent and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Selling Stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act including Rule 172 thereunder and may be subject to certain statutory liabilities of, including but not limited to, Sections 11, 12 and 17 of the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
Each selling stockholder has informed the Company that it is not a registered broker-dealer and does not have any written or oral agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Resale Shares. Upon the Company being notified in writing by a selling stockholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of Common Stock through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, a supplement to this prospectus will be filed, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each such selling stockholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s), (ii) the number of Resale Shares involved, (iii) the price at which such the Resale Shares were sold, (iv) the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable, (v) that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out in this prospectus, and (vi) other facts material to the transaction. In no event shall any broker-dealer receive fees, commissions and markups, which, in the aggregate, would exceed eight percent (8.0%).
Under the securities laws of some U.S. states, the Resale Shares may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some U.S. states the Resale Shares may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.
There can be no assurance that any selling stockholder will sell any or all of the Resale Shares registered pursuant to the shelf registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.
Each selling stockholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, to the extent applicable, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the Resale Shares by the selling stockholder and any other participating person. To the extent applicable, Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the Resale Shares to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Resale Shares. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the Resale Shares and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the Resale Shares.
We will pay all expenses of the registration of the Resale Shares pursuant to the registration rights agreement, including, without limitation, Securities and Exchange Commission filing fees and expenses of compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws; provided, however, that each selling stockholder will pay all underwriting discounts and selling commissions, if any and any related legal expenses incurred by it. We will indemnify the selling stockholders against certain liabilities, including some liabilities under the Securities Act, in accordance with the registration rights agreement, or the selling stockholders will be entitled to contribution. We may be indemnified by the selling stockholders against certain civil liabilities set forth in the registration rights agreement, including liabilities under the Securities Act, that may arise from any written information furnished to us by the selling stockholders specifically for use in this prospectus, in accordance with the related registration rights agreements, or we may be entitled to contribution.
ANNEX B
SELLING STOCKHOLDER NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE
The undersigned holder of shares of the Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of PSQ Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) issued pursuant to a certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the Company and the Purchasers named therein, dated as of October 22, 2024 (the “Agreement”), understands that the Company intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement on Form S-1, or if available Form S-3 (the “Resale Registration Statement”) for the registration and the resale under Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Agreement.
In order to sell or otherwise dispose of any Registrable Securities pursuant to the Resale Registration Statement, a holder of Registrable Securities generally will be required to be named as a selling stockholder in the related prospectus or a supplement thereto (as so supplemented, the “Prospectus”), deliver the Prospectus to purchasers of Registrable Securities (including pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act) and be bound by the provisions of the Agreement (including certain indemnification provisions, as described below). Holders must complete and deliver this Notice and Questionnaire in order to be named as selling stockholders in the Prospectus. Holders of Registrable Securities who do not complete, execute and return this Notice and Questionnaire within five Trading Days following the date of the Agreement (1) will not be named as selling stockholders in the Resale Registration Statement or the Prospectus and (2) may not use the Prospectus for resales of Registrable Securities.
Certain legal consequences arise from being named as a selling stockholder in the Resale Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Holders of Registrable Securities are advised to consult their own securities law counsel regarding the consequences of being named or not named as a selling stockholder in the Resale Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
NOTICE
The undersigned holder (the “Selling Stockholder”) of Registrable Securities hereby gives notice to the Company of its intention to sell or otherwise dispose of Registrable Securities owned by it and listed below in Item (3), unless otherwise specified in Item (3), pursuant to the Resale Registration Statement. The undersigned, by signing and returning this Notice and Questionnaire, understands and agrees that it will be bound by the terms and conditions of this Notice and Questionnaire and the Agreement.
The undersigned hereby provides the following information to the Company and represents and warrants that such information is accurate and complete:
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. | Name. |
(a) | Full Legal Name of Selling Stockholder: |
(b) | Full Legal Name of Registered Holder (if not the same as (a) above) through which Registrable Securities Listed in Item 3 below are held: |
(c) | Full Legal Name of Natural Control Person (which means a natural person who directly or indirectly alone or with others has power to vote or dispose of the securities covered by the questionnaire): |
2. | Address for Notices to Selling Stockholder: |
Telephone:
Fax:
Contact Person:
E-mail address of Contact Person:
3. | Beneficial Ownership of Registrable Securities Issuable Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement: |
(a) | Type and Number of Registrable Securities beneficially owned and issued pursuant to the Agreement: |
(b) | Number of Registrable Securities to be registered pursuant to this Notice for resale: |
4. | Broker-Dealer Status: |
(a) | Are you a broker-dealer? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
(b) | If “yes” to Section 4(a), did you receive your Registrable Securities as compensation for investment banking services to the Company? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
Note: If no, the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.
(c) | Are you an affiliate of a broker-dealer? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
Note: If yes, provide a narrative explanation below:
(d) | If you are an affiliate of a broker-dealer, do you certify that you bought the Registrable Securities in the ordinary course of business, and at the time of the purchase of the Registrable Securities to be resold, you had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Registrable Securities? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
Note: If no, the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.
5. | Beneficial Ownership of Other Securities of the Company Owned by the Selling Stockholder. |
Except as set forth below in this Item 5, the undersigned is not the beneficial or registered owner of any securities of the Company other than the Registrable Securities listed above in Item 3.
Type and amount of other securities beneficially owned:
6. | Relationships with the Company: |
Except as set forth below, neither the undersigned nor any of its affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders (owners of 5% of more of the equity securities of the undersigned) has held any position or office or has had any other material relationship with the Company (or its predecessors or affiliates) during the past three years.
State any exceptions here:
7. | Plan of Distribution: |
The undersigned has reviewed the form of Plan of Distribution attached as Annex A to the Registration Rights Agreement, and hereby confirms that, except as set forth below, the information contained therein regarding the undersigned and its plan of distribution is correct and complete.
State any exceptions here:
***********
The undersigned agrees to promptly notify the Company of any inaccuracies or changes in the information provided herein that may occur subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the effective date of any applicable Resale Registration Statement. All notices hereunder and pursuant to the Agreement shall be made in writing, by hand delivery, confirmed or facsimile transmission, first-class mail or air courier guaranteeing overnight delivery at the address set forth below. In the absence of any such notification, the Company shall be entitled to continue to rely on the accuracy of the information in this Notice and Questionnaire.
By signing below, the undersigned consents to the disclosure of the information contained herein in its answers to Items (1) through (7) above and the inclusion of such information in the Resale Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The undersigned understands that such information will be relied upon by the Company in connection with the preparation or amendment of any such Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
By signing below, the undersigned acknowledges that it understands its obligation to comply, and agrees that it will comply, with the provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, particularly Regulation M in connection with any offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Resale Registration Statement. The undersigned also acknowledges that it understands that the answers to this Questionnaire are furnished for use in connection with Registration Statements filed pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement and any amendments or supplements thereto filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and is advised of the following Question 239.10 of the Securities Act Rules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations regarding short selling:
“An Issuer filed a Form S-3 registration statement for a secondary offering of common stock which is not yet effective. One of the selling stockholders wanted to do a short sale of common stock “against the box” and cover the short sale with registered shares after the effective date. The issuer was advised that the short sale could not be made before the registration statement become effective, because the shares underlying the short sale are deemed to be sold at the time such sale is made. There would, therefore, be a violation of Section 5 if the shares were effectively sold prior to the effective date.”
By returning this Questionnaire, the undersigned will be deemed to be aware of the foregoing interpretation.
I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the foregoing statements (including without limitation the answers to this Questionnaire) are correct.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Questionnaire to be executed and delivered either in person or by its duly authorized agent.
Dated:
Beneficial Owner: | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
PLEASE EMAIL A COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE TO:
Jim Giudice at Jim.Giudice@publicsq.com
Exhibit 99.1
PublicSquare Formally Launches Payments Platform
Implements Strategic Plan to Streamline Organization
Closes $5.35 Million Equity Investment
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla, October 28, 2024 — PSQ Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PSQH) (“PublicSquare,” or the “Company”) today reported the formal launch of its payments platform, the implementation of a strategic plan to streamline the organization, and the announcement of a private investment in public equity transaction (“PIPE”) of $5.35 million to help fund the growth of its payments vertical and for other general corporate purposes.
Michael Seifert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PublicSquare, commented, “The traction we are experiencing with merchants adopting our payments and credit technology and embracing our strategic cancel-proof position in the market has been truly remarkable. With our intentional focus on our fintech business and the official launch of our payments platform, we have executed contracts that, if fulfilled in their entirety, could result in annualized payments processing Gross Merchandise Value (“GMV”) of over $700 million. We aim to increase this to $1.0 billion by the Christmas shopping season.”
“We have also recognized we can run a headcount-light tech software business model and have implemented a strategic plan to streamline the organization, reducing our staff by over 35% and retaining the people critical to this B2B focused sales and marketing positioning going forward, which we expect will lower our cash burn meaningfully. Even more important, we have raised capital, primarily from insiders, to fund further growth. With a bolstered cash position to help fund payments initiatives and a leaner organization, we believe we can focus on our goal of reaching profitability in near term.”
“We are also taking significant steps in modifying the PublicSquare marketplace to align with our fintech goals, fine-tuning our curation of merchants, and launching an affiliate fee-based offering akin to other fintech peers in 2025, where we would receive a commission for traffic or transactions initiated through our marketplace. We are excited about the continued synergies we are able to exercise between revenue streams as we further enhance our commerce and payments ecosystem.”
PIPE Investment
On October 24, 2024, the Company closed a private investment in public equity transaction (“PIPE”) pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement (“PIPE Purchase Agreement”) dated October 22, 2024, for the purchase of $5,350,004.10 of Class A common stock at $2.70 per share with three investors: (i) an affiliate of a PSQH board member, (ii), a party related to a PSQH board member and executive officer, and (ii) an unaffiliated accredited investor (the “Purchasers”). The purchase price was slightly in excess of the 14-day average closing price of the Company’s stock on the New York Stock Exchange. The Purchasers also entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “PIPE Registration Rights Agreement”) with the Company, pursuant to which, among other things, require the Company to file a registration statement to register the resale of the shares within a certain period after the closing of the PIPE Purchase Agreement. The PIPE Purchase Agreement also contained a lock-up provision pursuant to which, for a period of 12 months after the closing of the PIPE Purchase Agreement, the shares will be subject to trading restrictions and the Purchasers will be restricted from selling short or hedging PSQ securities subject to certain exceptions. The foregoing descriptions of the PIPE Purchase Agreement and the PIPE Registration Rights Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the terms and conditions of the forms of PIPE Purchase Agreement and PIPE Registration Rights Agreement attached as exhibits to the Company's Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2024.
About PublicSquare
PublicSquare is America's leading commerce and payments ecosystem, valuing life, family, and liberty. PublicSquare operates under three segments: Marketplace, Financial Technology, and Brands. The primary mission of the Marketplace segment is to help consumers “shop their values” and put purpose behind their purchases. PublicSquare leverages data and insights from the Marketplace to assess its customers’ needs and provide wholly-owned quality financial products and brands. PublicSquare’s Financial Technology segment comprises Credova, a consumer financing and payments company. PublicSquare’s Brands segment comprises EveryLife, a premium D2C life-affirming baby products company. The PublicSquare Marketplace is free to join for both consumers and business owners. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play, or visit PublicSquare.com to learn more.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and for purposes of the “safe harbor” provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, financial results or strategies regarding PublicSquare, anticipated product launches, our products and markets, future financial condition, expected future performance and market opportunities of PublicSquare. Forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “strategy,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “project,” “possible,” “potential,” “project,” “predict,” “scales,” “representative of,” “valuation,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, and in this press release, include statements about the expected annualized GMV from our payments platform, and our ability to successfully implement and to recognize the expected cost savings of our strategic initiatives to streamline operations; however, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many other factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, without limitation: (i) unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of our operations, (ii) the fulfillment of the payment platform contracts that have been executed and the execution of additional such contracts, which are speculative given the relatively short amount of time that we have been in that business and given the fact that we have not yet achieved those levels of performance, (iii) changes in the competitive industries and markets in which PublicSquare operates, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting PublicSquare’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (iv) the ability to implement business plans, growth, marketplace and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (v) risks related to PublicSquare’s limited operating history, the rollout and/or expansion of its business and the timing of expected business milestones, (vi) risks related to PublicSquare’s potential inability to achieve or maintain profitability and generate significant revenue, (vii) the ability to raise capital on reasonable terms as necessary to develop its products in the timeframe contemplated by PublicSquare’s business plan, (viii) the ability to execute PublicSquare’s anticipated business plans and strategy, (ix) the ability of PublicSquare to enforce its current or future intellectual property, including patents and trademarks, along with potential claims of infringement by PublicSquare of the intellectual property rights of others, (x) actual or potential loss of key influencers, media outlets and promoters of PublicSquare’s business or a loss of reputation of PublicSquare or reduced interest in the mission and values of PublicSquare and the segment of the consumer marketplace it intends to serve, and (xi) the risk of economic downturn, increased competition, a changing regulatory landscape and related impacts that could occur in the highly competitive consumer marketplace, both online and through “bricks and mortar” operations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Recipients should carefully consider such factors and the other risks and uncertainties described and to be described in PublicSquare’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Recipients are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and PublicSquare does not assume any obligation to, nor does it intend to, update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. PublicSquare gives no assurance that PublicSquare will achieve its expectations.
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Media Contact:
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